Break
by coolbeanie
Summary: Sequel to Long Time No See: The flock is heading west, trying to escape from the the enemies that they left behind. Will they ever escape? And what really happened to Max at the old institute? Who knows the truth?
1. Prologue

Hey everybody. I know this a way fast sequel update, but this beginning is sorta like a preview/thingy. so here we go...

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"How could she do this? After all I've done for her!" The tall man in a white coat yelled.

A dark figure leaned against the doorsill. "Well, she's not your perfect little girl anymore, is she?" It said.

The man sighed and sat down at his desk. Rubbing his forehead, he stared at a little glass figurine that stood in from of him.

"I hadn't expected her to let them go like that, and to tell them to leave her behind. I mean that's okay but still, she needs to be more careful. I just, I…." The man trailed off.

The dark figure stepped into the room, revealing it self to be a young boy. His hair was matted with sweat, and his t-shirt was dirty and ripped down the back. He was staring at the man with his head cocked to the side.

"You were supposed to catch her." The man said sternly to the boy.

"I would have if I didn't have a little freak holding me back." The boy said in an annoyed tone.

"And they all got away." The man now leaned back in his chair and twiddled his thumbs, still not breaking eye contact with the figurine.

"Yeah, and they're not far. They're right on the boarder of Maryland" The boy said as he pointed his finger towards the window. "We can get them now. I know where they are."

"Not yet Ari, I've told you before. We need a backup plan this time. The last batch of experiments didn't work. So now we have nothing."

"But what's the point of going through all of this 'plan' stuff, when you have them right there!" Ari was losing his temper now. His face was getting red and he clenched his fists.

"We can't! We need to find the right way to get them first. And right now, there's nothing in front of me."

A woman in a white lab coat walked into the room with a clipboard.

"Excuse me Jeb, but we seem to be having some…technical… difficulties."

"Allison, what do you mean by technical difficulties?" Jeb got up with a pained expression.

"You should just come down and see for yourself."

Annoyed, Jeb walked towards the door to follow Allison. But before he reached the hallway he turned around to look back at Ari.

"We can't get Max yet Ari. Not yet."

With that, Jeb turned back around and walked down the hall with Allison.

Ari listened as the footsteps disappeared down the hall. He then walked over to the front of Jeb's desk and picked up the glass figurine. He brought it up to his face with a look of disgust. The finely blown glass was shaped to form a delicate girl. The girl had long flowing hair and two beautiful wings coming off her back. It was the perfect angel.

Ari held the angel in his hand and looked out the window. Immediately he started morphing into a full grown Eraser. He hissed as the sharp pains went through his body.

"It's not over Max." He growls.

He then lifted his hand up and sees that the little angel had broken into pieces. Then with a menacing grin, Ari walked back to the desk and put the broken pieces of the figurine right in the middle.

"Daddy's little girl." He said and walked out the room.

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I know, short, but how was it! Please review and tell me if you like it!


	2. Morning

Sadly I am not James Patterson. But the story Break is mine! Yay!

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I sat on the rock and looked out into the green forest. The sun was starting to come up, creating a pink and blue sky. I turned to face the flock; all of them were huddled together on the ground sleeping. A small smile grazed my lips.

I was still a little shaken up from the fast couple of days. Finding out that you were knocked out from an explosion for a week and a half, might make you a little freaked out. Plus, now that Ari paid us a little visit since then, I'm even more paranoid.

The institute that we had bombed was in DC, and we are on the border of Maryland. The distance between those two places were not large enough for me. I wanted to get the heck out of here. I was thinking about going west, but I didn't have a clue where. Just some small town would be perfect for me, but of course, Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy want to go somewhere with tons of people again. But as long as we were all far away, I didn't care where we went.

I then heard a ruffling sound come up from behind me. I gasped and quickly whipped my head around.

"Hi Max." Angel said, wrapping her arms around my neck.

I sighed with relief. I was getting way to anxious lately.

"Hey honey. How'd you sleep?" I smiled.

"Fine, so what's for breakfast?"

I stood up and saw a plastic bag sitting in the corner of the cave. I looked inside and saw a ton of granola bars. Another meal of granola bars, how lovely, _not_.

"Looks like we're eating these this morning," I said as I brought the bag over to Angel.

She quickly grabbed one and practically inhaled it.

"Hungry?" I asked with raised eyebrows. She just looked up at me and smiled sweetly.

Gazzy and Nudge appeared next to us. They both stretched and rubbed their eyes.

"Mornin', pass me two of those please?" Nudge asked groggily.

"Me too," Gazzy whispered.

I threw two granola bars to Nudge, and two more to Gazzy.

"Me three, but make that four bars." Iggy walked and yawned.

"Five." Fang called as he stood up from the ground. He stretched his back and walked over.

"Iggy, here's four." I handed him the granola bars.

"Fang, five. And me, six." I smirked and handed Fang his.

We all finished the bag of bars in about five minutes; each of us had reached in and taken more as we ate.

"Where are we going today Max?" Nudge asked me excitedly.

"Um, I was thinking about going west. I just think we've had enough of the east coast, right?

Everyone sighed, except Fang of course.

"I know you guys wanted to go to all of these other places, and I'm sorry. It's just that I feel like we should lay low for a while. Not, like, to go into hiding or anything, but for us not to be found as easily."

"Yeah, makes sense." Iggy said as he got up to stretch some more.

"Yeah, we should find like a house or something. Or maybe even a place with a lake! And maybe we…" Nudge started saying before Gazzy cut her off.

"Yeah, let's blow this joint," He said looking at me with an apologetic smile, "Just kidding."

I couldn't help but laugh. I was happy to know that everyone agreed to where we were going. Honestly, I was kind of nervous about the response I would get. Everyone was busy talking and getting ready to go, when I walked over to Fang and sat down.

"So you okay with where we're going?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I wanted to get the heck outta here too." He said with a half smile.

I hated how he was able read my mind like that, but I just smiled and stood up.

"Okay guys, ready?"

Everyone lined up together. Gazzy was next to me, along with Angel, then Iggy, then Nudge, and finally Fang.

"Let's go." I said as I leapt into the air.

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Okay, so a nice happy chapter. I did a little experiment with writing. The style is kinda different than Long Time No See; I found that I got into Max's head a little more. Like, there's more in present tense when she's thinking, were LTNS has more past tense.

Well, what ever. Tell me what you think! Reviews make me happy to write:)

Oh yeah, and sorry the last chap was confusing. It sorta sets up the story and how it goes. It'll explain itself later.


	3. A house

Sorry for the delay, homework sucks!

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"Max can we stop?" Nudge whined.

Everyone was achy and tired, including me. We had flown all day, nonstop, for about ten hours. I was surprised that no one had complained about being tired earlier.

"Yeah, let's look for a place to stop." I said as I started to scan the ground.

I wasn't looking for anything special, just maybe an abandoned shack or a small clearing in the woods.

"Down there!" Gazzy yelled, pointing his finger at a house.

"Do you think anyone's in it?" Iggy asked.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." I answered as I flew down towards the ground.

I landed in the woods around the house, just in case there really _was_ someone living there. The flock landed next to me and looked around.

"It doesn't look like anyone's there." Nudge said.

"Stay here, I'm gonna go look in the mirror."

I walked quietly over to the house and peered into the window. No one was there. I then went around to the front door and turned the handle. The door swung open with ease, revealing a cozy den and a small kitchen.

I stuck my head inside. "Hello?" I called.

"Hello." Someone answered from behind me.

I gasped and quickly turned around, only to see Fang smirking at me.

"Stop it! You almost gave me a heart attack!" I punched him in the arm.

He raised his hands up in defense and smiled.

"Sorry, I didn't no you were so paranoid," he laughed. "Is anyone home?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, it's good. You go get the kids."

Then I turned around and walked it. The living area had two small couches facing each other, and a coffee table in the middle. The small kitchen was in the far right corner, complete with pots and pans hanging from a shelf.

"Nice." Fang said as he walked around.

"Okay guys, go look to see if there are any rooms." I said.

Nudge and Angel took off running up the stairs. Gazzy and Iggy followed them.

"I like it." I said to Fang, now that we were the only ones standing in the kitchen.

"Not bad. It's dusty, but it's something." He said and he leaned his back against the counter.

"Do you think this is actually someone's house?"

"Me and Angel call this room!" We heard Nudge scream from upstairs.

"Not anymore." He smirked.

We both walked up the stair and saw a long white hallway with two doors on each side. I got a chill down my spine looking at it. It was just like the Institute hallways, but a little less creepier. Fang noticed me tense up.

"You okay?" He asked me with a bit of worried look on his face.

"Yeah, just tired." I smiled weakly at him. He gave me the 'I know you're lying look', but then just shrugged it off.

"Gazzy and I have this room." Iggy said with his head sticking out of the door.

I walked over and looked inside. The room was a pale blue color with match twin beds.

"It's a nice room." I said as I walked in.

"Max, come and see ours!" Angel called from outside the door.

I smiled and followed her down the hall, and into a off-white room with a queen sized bed. The bed spread was light pink and had flower patterns all over it.

"Don't you just love it Max?" Nudge asked happily.

"Yeah, it's perfect," I couldn't stop looked around. Everything was perfect.

"Okay, let's go see what they've got to eat here."

Once I finish my sentence, they both darted out of the room and down the stairs. I sighed and walk out and into Gazzy and Iggy's room. They were sitting on they're beds talking. Fang was sitting on the floor in from of them.

"You want to see what these people have to eat?"

Gazzy's eyes lit up. He dashed out of his room and down the stairs as well. These kids are acting like they've never had anything to eat in years. Iggy walked out along with Fang and I, and went to the kitchen. We found all three of the kids stuffing their faces already. Nudge and Angel were both eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and Gazzy was opening his third can of spagettios.

"Guys, this place is stocked!" Gazzy said excitedly while chewing a mouth full of food.

Iggy began opening a can of spagettios as well and quickly ate it. Fang looked into the shelves and took out a bag of tortilla chips. He immediately ripped open the bag and started eating.

I pulled the shelf door open and looked around to see what it had for me. I pulled out a box of graham crackers and ripped it open. This place was getting more and more perfect by the minute.

After we all finished filling our stomachs, we decided to hit the hay. Everyone went up to their rooms and got ready for bed. I left Fang cleaning up and went upstairs to say goodnight. Once I got to Iggy and Gazzy's room, they were practically half asleep in their beds. I turned off their light and whispered, "Goodnight guys," as I shut their door.

Angel and Nudge were both quietly giggling in bed when I walked in.

"Max, don't you just _love_ it here?" Nudge asked with a smile spread across her face.

"Yeah, it's a really nice house," I said with a small smile. "You guys need get your rest though. We've got a long day tomorrow."

"But can't we stay Max! I love it here!" Angel said with her infamous Bambi eyes.

"Um, well, we'll talk about it tomorrow. Go to sleep." I said weakly. Those little Bambi eyes are an evil weapon.

We stacked fists and Angel gave me a hug. I started walking to the door when Nudge stopped me.

"Wait, where are you and Fang going to sleep?"

"We'll figure it out." I smiled and turned off the light.

"Night girls."

"Night Max."

I walked down the stairs to find Fang putting blankets over the couches.

"You can have this one. I'm going on first watch," he said in a non-negotiating voice.

"But…"

"Goodnight Max," He said over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Wait Fang. Do you get a weird feeling being in this house?"

"No, why?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I don't know. It's just so nice here. It has what everyone wanted in here."

"Sort of, except we don't have a bed." He shrugged.

"I guess." I said, looking at the ground.

Fang walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down Max, it's just a house."

"I know," I said with a weak smile.

He walked away and sat in a chair near the window.

"**_He's right, it's just a house."_** My Voice chimed in.

_Will you shut it?_

I yawned a realized how tired I was. I lay down and wrapped myself in a blanket.

"Walk me up on second watch." I called out to Fang.

He looked at me and nodded. I slowly closed my eyes and sighed. Maybe I'm just acting paranoid. Then the sleepiness in me took over and I slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.

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Okay, I'll try to update soon! Review Please! Tell if you like it!


	4. The Dream

Woo hoo! I'm glad I've got this chapter up! I'm not James Patterson, though I really wish I was...

Before you read, this chapter is called -**Max's Dream**- okay not here we go...

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"Max look out!" Fang yelled.

CRASH

A window broke and thousand pieces of glass scattered across the floor. I turned and ran towards my flock.

BANG

The front door suddenly fell to the ground.

"What is happening?" I yelled, but no one heard me.

Then, two large whitecoats came in and started running towards us.

"Move!" I screamed as I pushed the flock towards a hallway.

We all ran down this long, white hallway with windows lining up on one side. As we ran, I looked into one and caught a glimpse of a little girl with her hand pressed up against the window looking back at me. Her big brown eyes were full of fear. We kept on running and came to pass the next window. I looked in and saw a little boy watching me pass by. Each window we past had the same little boy and girl, fearfully watching us run for our lives.

I felt my legs start to shake me, and my chest pounded with every heavy breath I took. Straight ahead was a glass door, leading into the nighttime sky.

"Up ahead!" I yelled as we came closer.

We ran passed the last window in slow motion. It had a little boy with brown hair and brown eyes inside. His eyes were wide and his hand was pressed against the window like all of the others, only this little boy was smiling evilly. His eyes locked with mine and I couldn't pull away. His big brown eyes looked so familiar, yet I had no idea who he was.

"Max." I heard Fang yell.

I finally closed my eyes and shook my head, breaking the eerie trance that I was in. I looked and saw Fang standing in front of the broken glass door.

"Come on!" He said with a panicked expression on his face.

I was only a few feet away when I felt someone grab my ankle and pull me to the ground. I turned my head back and saw the same little boy smiling devilishly at me. He started pulling backwards, away from Fang. I violently thrashed around, trying to escape his grasp.

The two huge whitecoats now had a hold of Fang. They threw him onto his stomach and stepped onto his back.

"Max, take my hand." Fang said weakly as he reached out for me.

I nodded and reached my arm out as far as I could. We brushed fingers but I was too far away to grab his hand. The boy behind me laughed loudly. I turned to look at him again and screamed. The little boy had transformed himself into a Fang double.

"Max!" The real Fang yelled. I spun my head back around to watch Fang get kicked in the head and collapse onto the floor.

"NO!" I screamed as loud as I could.

"Yes Max." The Fang double said quietly.

Suddenly I felt a huge explosion of pain erupt inside my head. Then, everything went black.

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Weird huh? Tell be how it is. Feedback make me happy. REVIEW PLEASE!


	5. Safe arms

Score! Another chapter written within a few days. Yesss. But okay, I'm not James Patterson, but I wish was...

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"Max, wake up."

I gasped and quickly sat up. I was drenched with sweat, and my head pounded like crazy. I looked to my side and saw Fang kneeling next to me with a concerned look on his face. It was still dark out, so I knew I hadn't been asleep for too long.

"Max, what happened?" Fang whispered to me.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I hesitated and closed it. I had no idea what was going on. That dream I had…was it reality? Was Fang actually a double? My head was spinning around in circles, making me want to throw up.

**_It was a dream._**

_No duh. I'm not that stupid. It was so real. Could this really happen?_

**_Remember, you have the power to change you're destiny Max. Use that power wisely._**

_What? It will happen?_

The Voice was then silent, not having anymore words of wisdom for me today. I looked at Fang again. He was still kneeling on the floor studying me. Without thinking, I reached out my hand and touched his cheek. He tensed up and looked at me weird.

"What's wrong?"

I quickly pulled my hand back, realizing what I was doing. "Sorry."

"Are you okay?"

_Yeah right I'm okay. I just had the worst nightmare of my life._

"Yeah," I said, lying through my teeth.

"No you're not, tell me what happened."

"I, I had a bad dream. That's all." I held back the urge to cry with all my strength.

"No it's not. Tell me." Fang said as he sat on the couch in front of me with a hard look in his eyes.

The tears started to fall down my cheeks and onto my shirt. I didn't want to tell Fang my dream, but I felt like I had to.

"I had a nightmare," I began.

Telling Fang my dream was hard. I felt stupid and embarrassed telling him this dream that made no sense at all. I expected him to laugh at me, or make a snide comment, but I just felt him sit there starring hard at me as I talked. Once I was done, he looked away and sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's just a stupid dream. I don't even know why I'm getting so worked up over it anyways." I forced a small laugh, but Fang didn't seem to think it was very funny.

His jaw was clenched, and he had an expression on his face that I couldn't name. We sat there in complete silence for what felt like forever.

"Do you think it's real?" Fang suddenly asked with a rough voice.

"No, it's not. That would be stupid."

"Yeah, but the whole Ari thing, you never know."

Ari. The memory of Ari turning into Fang burned in my mind. This whole dream really was possible. But I could never loose Fang, could I? He wouldn't leave me, would he?

"Fang, I'm sorry I told you. I didn't mean to make you upset. It's just a stupid dream of mine." I said nervously. Those 'what if' thoughts were still going through me.

"You didn't."

He still wasn't looking at me, so I took his chin and turned his head to face mine. His jaw was clenched, but once he saw me, his eyes softened.

"Max, I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere." He let a small smile form at the corner of his mouth. He read me so well, it was scary.

"I know. I wouldn't ever let you." I smiled.

Then he surprised me by pulling me into a hug.

"Don't worry Max. I can take care of myself." He whispered into my ear.

I sighed deeply and nuzzled my head onto Fang's shoulder. Something about Fang always made me feel like everything would actually be okay. He does so much for me, but I feel like I haven't done anything for him in return.

"Fang?" I whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He broke away and looked me in the eye.

"Don't thank me. I guess I'm just Mr. Softie now."

I hit him on the arm and smiled. He always knows how to ruin a touching moment.

"Just kidding." He chuckled and returned the hit to my arm

"But thanks for telling me about it." He smiled brightly one last time.

"Now you sleep. _I've_ got second what." I said as I got up and walked over to the kitchen cabinets to look for food. A midnight snack never hurts right?

"How can you expect me to fall asleep now?" Fang said coming up behind me.

"Well, go try. You need…"

Suddenly a huge explosion of pain erupted inside of my head. I fell to the ground, digging my nails to my scalp. Hot tears burn my skin as they made their way down my cheeks. My brain felt like it was going to blow up.

_What is happening to me?_

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**Okay, I know it's probably a bit confusing, but I shall clear it up eventually. I hoped you like this chapter. so REVIEW PLEASE!**


	6. Breaking and Entering

Hey hey. Sooo sorry for that long delay! School sucks, and that's a fact! Okay well James P. is cool, and an amazing writer! Okay well, it's a bit fasted paced and a bit short, but I tried to get a lot in. Here we go….

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I waken up by a bright sunbeam shining down on me. I was laying on the couch in my tank top and shorts. A damp washcloth was placed across my forehead, and a bed sheet was covering my legs.

"Hey Max. How are you feeling?" Nudge said as she appeared next to me, blocking the sun from my eyes.

I smiled at her. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Nothing, we just had breakfast."

I looked at her confused.

"Fang woke us up and got us breakfast. Well, Iggy cooked it, but Fang got us up. He said you had a brain attack last night, and that we should let you sleep in."

"What time is it?"

"Only 10:00. We just ate, there's still food on the table. Iggy and Fang went out to get more food. I'm not really sure how they're gonna pay, but I guess they'll figure something out. Angel, Gazzy, and me cleaned up and are playing a board game we found in our room. It's really fun! You go around the board with this little chip thingy after you roll the dice. Gazzy…"

"Nudge," I said, cutting her off.. "It sounds really fun. But do you know when they're coming back?"

"No, they just left like a minute ago." She sighed, "Well, I was just checking on you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, thanks. You go and play, I'm fine." I said with a small smile.

"Okay, there's food on the table, really good too." She called over her shoulder as she skipped away.

I sighed and sat up. My head ached a little, but it was manageable. I started to remember last night. _Getting up, brain attack, that dream_. A chill went down my spine. I tried to block it out of my mind.

I pulled the washcloth off of my head and swung my feet over the side of the couch. I slowly got myself to my feet and stretched. My limbs were stiff from lying on my back for so long. I walked over to the kitchen and rubbed my eyes.

The kitchen was spotless. Everything was cleaned and put away neatly in there cabinets. Bacon and eggs sat on a dish on the counter. A note was taped onto the side of the plate.

_Saved for Max. _

_Don't even think about eating it._

_-Fang_

I laughed and picked up the plate. I sat down at the table and stuffed my face. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I put the bacon in my mouth. It was very peaceful in the house. No noise, no mess, no dirt. It was actually a nice change, compared to our usual way of living.

When I was done I put the plate in the sink and started to rinse it off. Then I heard the door open. I stopped and casually walked over to the door to greet the boys. I turned the corner and was met with a hairy fist making its way toward my head. I gasped and ducked. The fist it the wall, making a sickening crack.

I quickly ran down the hall and up the stairs. I ran to Angel and Nudge's room and looked in. They were gone.

"Angel! Nudge! Gazzy!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I was panicking.

"Max!" I heard a voice call from the living room.

I turned and sprinted down the stairs. I was almost to the bottom when a foot swung out in front of me and tripped me. I fell flat on my face, hitting my nose on the wooden floor. I felt the blood start to pour out. I moaned and jumped to my feet.

I ran to the right and saw Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel sitting on the couch tied up. A hand then grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. I felt a hard kick to my stomach, making the air escape my lungs. I fell to the ground. As I gasped for air, I looked up to see a hairy face leaning over me. I grinned evilly at me, exposing its disgusting yellow teeth.

"Miss me?"

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Okay dokie. I'll try my hardest to update ASAP. It's hard with school, especially with two AP classes, and stupid teacher assigning SO MUCH HOMEWORK. I miss the summer :(

Okay well feedback is amazing. I feel a bit rusty, but I'll try to fix it. Tell me what you think! REVIEW PLEASE!


	7. Suffocating

Okay, I lied. I was excited to write this I guess! Yay. And James Patterson is awesome!

Ooo

Ooo

Ooo

Ari leaned over me with his foot now resting on my neck.

"You thought you were so cool." He said menacingly.

He pushed down on my neck a little further, making me frantically gasp for air. I grabbed his foot and tried to push it off, but it didn't budge.

"You knew you could never kill me Max. But you still had to be the hero and save the day, didn't you?"

My lungs ached from the lack of oxygen. My vision was becoming blurry, and my head was pulsing. I could still hear the voices of people yelling, but they slowly started to fade away.

"But I can kill you now, and I'll be the hero." He smiled widely.

All of my strength left me. I was about to die in front of the flock, and there was nothing I could do about it. All I could do was close my eyes and wait for my life to end.

"_Dying is not in your destiny Max."_ The Voice echoed inside of my head.

Then suddenly I heard two loud bangs. Someone cried out in pain and fell to the ground near me. The pressure on my neck slowly disappeared, leaving me lying there helplessly. I tried to breathe, but no air came. Someone came to my side and pick my neck up.

"Just hold on Max." I heard a fate voice yell to me.

The cloudiness around me started to become thicker.

"I'm so sorry. Don't leave me Max. We need you." The voice faintly yelled to me.

I felt numb. The darkness surrounding me was so close, and I could feel myself get drawn into it.

"Stay with me Max. I need you. Please hold on. Gazzy, get everyone together and go."

I recognized that voice, but it was too far away to understand. Then suddenly I felt like I was floating.

_Oh god I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead._

"_You're not dead. Dying is not your destiny."_

Oooo

Oooo

Oooo

Ooo

Cut short, sorry! But she won't die…or will she? And maybe Ari is dead…or is he? Well REVIEW! I'll try and update soon, reviews make me happy :)


	8. Shot

Hey guys! Sorry for not updating for forever. I rushed a little on this chap, so sorry if there are any grammatical errors. Ugh.

…And James Patterson owns the characters. I only own the books on hard cover! But I love them anyways! ;p

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"_You're not dead. Dying is not your destiny."_

I awoke suddenly and gasped for air. I sat up quickly and started coughing. My chest felt so tight. I pulled at the collar of my shirt and ripped it off of me, leaving me in only my undershirt.

"Max, you're okay." A voice said from beside me.

I wiped my head around and saw Iggy smiling at me.

"Iggy…." I said hoarsely, "Water."

His smiled faded and he reached over to a backpack. He pulled out a water bottle and handed it to me. I grabbed it from his hand and chugged it.

"Wow, thirsty?" He said with a small smile.

"What…happened?" I asked between breaths.

"Well, Ari almost killed you."

"I know that."

"And, we are still at the house."

I scanned the room and realized that I was still sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room.

"Why? We have to go, now! Where is everyone?" I said frantically.

"Clam down," Iggy raised his hands up to stop me. "Everyone is resting. Ari left, along with the other Erasers. We're all here."

I was so confused. "Why?"

"I don't know. I think I heard Ari talking to someone on an ear piece or something. It wasn't clear what he was saying."

"Oh." I rubbed my forehead.

I was so out of it, nothing made any sense to me.

"And what was that big bang?" I asked.

"Oh, well. Um…" Iggy lowered his head towards the ground.

I looked over his shoulder and saw a puddle on the floor a few feet away. It was a dark color, almost red. Then it hit me.

"Iggy what are not telling me?" I grabbed his shoulder in panic.

"One of the Erasers had a gun, and that's what the big bangs came from."

"Iggy, what happened?" I yelled with out thinking.

"Well, what happened was, Fang and I walked in and saw you on the floor under Ari's foot. Well, actually, I didn't see it, but I heard it. Fang dropped the bags and started to run to you, but the Eraser pulled out a big gun. He pointed it at Fang and shot him in the arm. That's when Ari left."

I was gaping at him. "What?" My voice was shaking.

"He's okay; he just lost a lot of blood though."

"Where is he?" I said as I jumped to my feet.

"He's in my room. But he's sleeping…"

Before Iggy said anything else, I started to run up the stairs and down the hall. My heart was racing. Fang got shot, while he was trying to save me. I was so stupid, I should have died. I hated myself for letting him get hurt.

When I came to the room, I took a deep breath and turned the door knob. I opened the door slightly and peered in. Fang was lying on the bed. He was on his back with his arm wrapped up in blood soaked gauze. Tears sprang to my eyes, and I didn't bother holding them back. I couldn't bear to look at him; I just need to get out. I walked out of the room and quietly shut the door behind me. Then I walked down stairs and to the front door.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon." I said to Iggy in a toneless voice.

"Okay, but be careful." He called back.

"Don't worry." I said quietly and walked out the door.

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Tell me what you think! **REVIEW PLEASE!**


	9. Drained

Here you go. Another chapter! Yay!

James Patterson is my idol :)

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I flew for about a half hour, just circling over the house a few times. I didn't what to go far, just in case Erasers decide to barge in on us again. We don't need anymore injuries, thank-you very much.

A small rumble came from above me. I looked up and saw a big black storm cloud forming over me. Without warning, it started to pour. I quickly descended and landed on the grass, hard. I covered my head and ran into the house.

"Wow Max. You look like a swamp monster!" Gazzy called from the kitchen table. Nudge and Angel laughed while Iggy just smiled widely.

The flock, minus Fang, was sitting around the table eating spaghetti. I slipped off my wet shoes and kicked them to the corner of the room.

"I'm going to go and dry off. Be right back." I said quietly and walked to the stairs.

I went over to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair looked like a rat's nest, and I still had blood on my face from when I "fell" down the stairs. I sighed and scrubbed my face clean. I felt miserable, physically and emotionally.

I walked to Nudge and Angel's room and pulled out my extra shorts and t-shirt from her backpack. I changed quickly and threw my wet clothes into the tub. After putting my overly-long hair up into a messy bun, I walked back downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Much better Max," Angel said with a cute smile.

I weakly smiled back and grabbed a plate from the counter. I piled a mound of spaghetti on my plate and sat down with the rest of the flock.

"So, how was your walk?" Iggy asked with his mouth full.

"Fine."

"Where'd you go?"

"I just flew around the house."

"Cool." He said as he shoved in another mouthful.

The rest of the evening was quiet. Nobody said anything, not even Nudge. We just sat there and ate in silence.

"Okay guys, why don't you hit the sack. It's really late." I said after everyone was finished.

Without a word, the kids got up and dumped their dishes into the sink. We stacked fists and they went off to their rooms.

"Max?" Angel reappeared from around the corner.

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry, he will be okay. It's not your fault, you couldn't have done anything."

I was staring at the little girl with my mouth open. She was so scary sometimes, but I loved her for that.

"Thanks honey." I said with a small smile.

She came over and gave me a big hug. "Love you."

"Love you too sweetie." I smiled and rubbed her back. She then went skipping off to her room.

I turned back to the sink and saw Iggy standing there washing them.

"Ig, you don't have to do that. You go to sleep. I got first watch."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you must be exhausted."

He smiled at me thankfully and walked away. I sighed and started to wash the dishes in the sink. It only took about two minutes, so I walked into the living room and sat on the couch. I laid my head in hands and closed my eyes.

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This is like a fill in chapter for what I wanted to write next. I'm working on it now.

Tell me what you think, PLEASE REVIEW!


	10. Arguements, what else is new?

Only after a few minutes of resting my eyes, I suddenly felt that familiar prickly sensation on the back of my neck. I gasped and sat up straight.

"Sleeping on the job?"

Fang was sitting on the couch facing me. He was leaning on his back and resting his arm on his stomach.

"I wasn't sleeping, you just scared me," I lowered my head to look at my feet. "How long have you been sitting here?"

"Ten minutes."

"Oh," I sighed. "You should be in bed."

"So should you."

I forced myself to look up at him. He was starring at me intently, like he was trying to figure something out.

"What?" I asked nervously.

"Nothing."

I shifted in my seat and looked back at the ground. I could feel his eyes on me, reading me like a book. I hated him sitting here for some reason. It was uncomfortable being near him for some reason.

"What's wrong?"

I looked back up at him and saw him leaning forward now. His face became softer than before, and his dark eyes showed a little bit of concern. Anybody else would just say he was blank, but I could always tell what was there.

"What?" I shrugged and forced a small smile.

Fang narrowed his eyes at me. "Why won't you look at me?"

His question caught me off guard. I opened my mouth to answer, but then shut it. I didn't feel like explaining my feelings to him, especially now.

"My arm is fine Max. It's just a war wound." He smirked.

I started back at him blankly. His smirk quickly faded, and his face turned back to stone.

"What is it then?"

"Nothing. I'm fine, okay?" I was getting annoyed.

"Fine." Fang got up and walked into the kitchen, leaving me alone on the couch.

I don't know why I felt so depressed. It's pathetic. I know I felt bad about Fang, but it's going too far. I took in a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. Fang was sitting at the table eating leftovers. He didn't even look up when I came into the room.

"Fang," I sighed. He looked up at me for a few seconds, but then went back to eating.

"I'm sorry okay. I sorry you got shot. I'm sorry that it…"

"Max," Fang said as he got up to take his plate to the sink. "It's fine. Don't be sorry."

"How could I not be sorry? You got shot in the arm, because you had to go and save me."

"Max you were dying," He said with twinge of frustration in his voice. "How could I _not_ help you? Someone was going to get hurt anyways. And if I wasn't shot, the Erasers could have taken us away or something. So just leave it."

I starred at him with wide eyes. He was actually getting mad at me now. I started to feel a little more annoyed with him too.

"So you're getting mad at me for apologizing for something that was _my_ fault?" I shot back at him, putting my hand on my hip.

He turned to face me and clenched his fist.

"No, I'm mad at the fact they you are apologizing for something you didn't do. It's not always your fault Max." His face became hard.

"Well if I had fought harder I'd had gotten away and prevented it. If I made everyone leave the house sooner, then this wouldn't have happened. And that stupid brain attack…"

"Will you stop?" Fang said, cutting me off.

"What?"

"Stop pretending like you're such a failure. You have no idea how annoying it is having to hear you pity yourself everyday. That just ends up hurting you more. You're not the Damsel in Distress Max. So just shut up." His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were filled with anger.

I walked over to him so we were face to face. "Well, I guess I annoy you too."

"Oh, go get a violin. It's just as depressing as you are." He stood over me so that I was standing only up to his chin.

Without even thinking I pushed him. He stumbled back a little and hit his butt on the counter.

"Oh My Gosh! I'm So Sorry!" I gasped.

Fang didn't respond, he just stood up and glared at me. Then he pushed be back so I hit the wall. I looked at him with my hanging open. He smirked at me one last time and walked passed me.

"Hey. What are you doing?" I said, following him into the living room.

"What?"

"You're just going to leave it at that?" I gestured to the kitchen.

"You're funny." Fang said as he shook his head.

"Why?"

"Because you couldn't think of anything else to say, so you pushed an injured guy."

"No, well, no." I stuttered. Fang just snickered at me and sat down. A bubble of anger rose inside of me, and I was not going to let him get away with that.

"Well, Mr. Fang. You think I'm so annoying? Try living with you." I said, crossing my arms.

"Tell me, what is so annoying about me?"

"Well, for one thing you never tell me if you're hurt. You go off by yourself all the time. You act like a blank wall. You don't every say anything. You keep your feeling to yourself, so no one, including me, knows what is going on inside of you. You…"

"Hey. What's wrong with that?" He got up and walked over to where I was standing.

"What?"

"Keeping stuff to myself."

"Because, Fang, sometimes…" I paused.

I wasn't sure how I was going word my explanation. I didn't want to sound like an idiot, especially now.

"See, you can't think of anything." He said as he turned around to walk away.

"Because it scares me, okay." I turned away to hide the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes.

"Why?"

I sucked back my tears and turned to face him. He was looking at me sadly, like he actually felt bad.

"I don't know, just because you don't tell me when you're hurt. I don't want you to end up back in the hospital. And, I never know how you feel. You don't ever tell me."

A single tear drop rolled down my cheek. Fang came towards me and brushed it away.

"Sorry. I didn't know."

"It's not a big deal." I said, trying to play it off. I didn't want to cry in front of him. That would have been more stupid.

He brush back my hair and looked at me softly. Then he wrapped his good arm around me and held me tightly. This was so unlike Fang, but I didn't care. I hugged him back and sighed. The feeling of safety washed over me, and I wanted to save it forever.

Then I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Fang must have heard it too, because he let go a little. Iggy came walking into the room, rubbing his hair.

"Can you two keep it down a little? Some of us are trying to sleep."

I laughed and wiped away the rest of the tears that were still caught in my eyes. Fang smirked and looked the other way.

"Sorry Ig, didn't mean to wake you." I said, holding the rest of my laughter.

"Seriously, you guys fight like cats and dogs." Then Iggy smiled, "Or like a divorced couple."

I felt my cheeks heat up. Fang's eyes were on me, so I turned away to hide my blush.

"Sorry Ig. You two go to bed. I'll watch now." Fang said.

"Okay, fine with me." Iggy said as he turned around to go back upstairs.

"Night, _Mom and Dad_." He called over his shoulder.

"Iggy, go to bed." I yelled back playfully.

"Max, you go on up. I'm fine." Fang said, after Iggy was gone.

"No, I'm probably not gonna sleep. And besides, you're the injured one."

"Yes, but you don't seem to have a problem with that, seeing how you pushed me." He walked over to the couch and sat down.

I smiled and sat down on the couch opposite him. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

"Goodnight Max." He whispered.

"I'm only resting my eyes." I said. But before I knew it, I had drifted of to sleep.

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**PLEASE REVIEW. they make me happy!**


	11. Attack

**Hey, hey, hey. New chapter! Sorry for the delay! James Patterson his way cool!**

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I opened my eyes to see Fang sitting on a chair a few feet away. It was still dark outside, so I know that I hadn't slept for that long. He was starring out the window intently, with his face all twisted into an expression that I've never seen before. I stood up and pulled a chair up across from him.

"Hey." I said as I settled into the uncomfortable wooden chair.

Fang didn't answer at first, but then he gave a slight nod.

"What's wrong?" I asked curiously.

He shook his head and shrugged a little. I followed his eyes and looked out the window to what he was looking at. All I saw was a dead tree and a bunch of leaved around it.

"What are you looking at?"

Fang sighed and rested his head on his hand. He laid his wounded arm on his lap carefully, and clench and unclenched his fingers. He looked uneasy, like he was going to be sick.

"You alright?" I asked concerned.

"Uh-huh."

"Do you feel okay?"

He nodded and looked down at his hand.

"Fang, tell me." I whined. We _just_ had this conversation/fight a few hours ago. I don't know why he's being like this _now_.

Fang looked up at me with a calm face, "I feel fine, okay?"

"Then why…" I began to say, until I saw him wince.

I looked down at his arm and gasped. His whole hand was covered with blood, along with his pants and shirt.

"Fang!" I jumped up and ran to get a towel.

I came back as saw him hunched over in his chair.

"Fang?"

He groaned and sat back up again. His whole shirt was now soaked with blood. I ran over to him with the towel and looked around to see what was actually bleeding.

"Where is it?"

"I think it's my arm, I don't really know." He said calmly.

I lifted up his sleeve and saw blood now trickling down through his blood soaked bandages. I tried to lift his sleeve again, but it was too tight.

"Fang take off your shirt." I said, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"What?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Fang, come one. Just do it."

He sighed and lifted off hit shirt carefully, wincing slightly as he pulled it off of his arm. My eyes widened as I saw the huge gash that went from his shoulder to his mid-arm.

"Fang, this doesn't look like a gun wound." I said, shaking my head.

"I know." He sighed and looked down at it.

"What else happened that you didn't tell me?"

He sighed and looked into my eyes. "It's okay."

"No it's not Fang, what are you not telling me!" I was yelling now.

"Max, be quiet."

"No! You said that you would tell me if you were hurt! I think _this_ would fall under that category!"

"What if it doesn't hurt that bad? I said that I would tell you when I was in pain. This isn't really painful."

I could feel my face get red with anger. I lost control of myself and slapped him across the face. He looked back at me with his mouth hanging open.

"Well, even though you're injured, you still dissevered that. And how could this not be painful you weirdo? This thing is huge."

I knelt down and peeled off the bloody gauze on his arm. I then wrapped that towel around it arm tightly, making him wince again.

"Sorry." He said and looked at his feet.

"Yeah, well, it's not okay." I said harshly. "But how did this happen?"

He looked back to the window and down at me.

"That tree right there wasn't dead yesterday."

"What?" I raised one eyebrow.

Suddenly Fang jumped up unexpectedly, making me fall back on my butt.

"We have to go, now."

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**Hey. Sorry if it is a bit confusing, I will clear it up as the story goes on :)**

**Tell me what you think! REVIEW PLEASE!**


	12. Fight or die

Hey! James Patterson is the master!

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"What are you talking about? What is going on?" I asked Fang curiously.

"No time. Go get the kids. I'll pack up food."

I obeyed his orders and ran upstairs. First I went to get Gazzy and Iggy, finding them already up.

"Come on. We need to go. Hurry up." I said franticly.

They both looked at me confused. "What is going on?" Iggy asked.

"I don't know. Hurry up, come on!"

I yelled as I ran to Nudge and Angel's room. They were both tucked away in bed sound asleep.

"Girls wake up, now!"

Angel popped up with a concerned look on her face. "Max, why?"

"I don't know Angel. Fang just said we need to go. And if he says something like that, it's serious. So go and pack."

The little girl nodded and got out of bed. I walked to Nudge's side of the bed and pulled back the covers.

"Nudge, come on."

"M-a-a-ax" Nudge whined.

"Nudge, get up. We need to leave."

Her eyes snapped open and she got up. With out saying a word, she took her extra clothes and stuffed them into her back pack.

"Okay, meet me downstairs in two minutes."

I then walked into the bathroom and gathered all of my things. I had no idea what was happening, but I trusted Fang with my life, so I knew something was up. But the tree not being dead? What was that supposed to mean? Erasers? A fire? All of these questions swarmed my mind as I ran back downstairs with my arms stuffed with clothes. I meet Fang in the kitchen, almost running into him.

"Everyone up?" He asked blankly.

"Yep. But Fang, what is happening?"

"Something's outside."

I listened quietly, but didn't hear anything.

"Wha…" I began to ask when the kids walked into the room all ready to go.

"What is going on?" Iggy asked again.

"Iggy I don't know." I said as I stuffed my backpack with my things.

"Okay, ready. Let's move."

Everyone made their way to the door. I turned the knob and swung it open.

"Going so soon?" A furry monster in front of me growled.

Behind him were about fifteen more hairy monsters.

"U and A, now!" I yelled.

The flock shot up into the air. I flew up but felt a tug on my ankle, pulling me back down.

"Fang!" I yelled up to him.

"Nothing can help you now Max." Ari sat from behind me.

Pain shot through my leg as I felt him dig his claws into my skin. I yelled out in pain and fell to the ground. My leg was bleeding heavily, leaving me feeling dizzy. I looked up to meet Ari's piercing eyes staring down at me. I then felt someone grab my hair and pull me, forcing me to look Ari in the face.

"Stop, please." I said quietly. I felt pathetic begging Ari to stop hurting me, but I couldn't take it anymore. I felt like I was dying again.

Ari laughed loudly in my face and grinned evilly. The Eraser behind me tugged at my wings and pulled them back.

"Max, Max, Max. Just give up. You're not strong enough. You might as well quit."

I glared at him, forgetting about the pain that was now shooting through my whole body.

"Leave her alone." Fang growled from behind Ari.

"Fang, no. Leave." I called to him.

"Awe, how cute. Two little flock members sticking up for each other."

"Shut up. At least I have someone." I shot back at him. He whipped his head around to glare at me with his eyes filled with rage.

He swung his fist at me and punched me hard in the stomach.

"I wouldn't talk like that Max. Especially to me, when _I'm_ the one in control."

"Yeah right, like I give a crap." I snapped back at him.

He then swiped me in the stomach with his claws. I cried out in pain and fell to my knees. The Eraser let go of my wings and let me fall on my back. Ari found his shot and kicked me in the side. There was a loud crack and pain flowed through my side.

"Max!" Fang called out and started to run to me.

An Eraser stopped him with kick to his back. Fang stumbled forward, but quickly regained himself. Ari then took the opportunity to punch him hard in the face. He stepped back holding his cheek in pain. He then spat out blood and went to tackle Ari, but Ari took Fang's shoulders and kicked him in the chest. Fang fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

"No, stop!" I yelled out to Ari. "What do you want from us?"

"Simple," He shrugged. "For you to die."

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Ouch! Sorry, a little hardcore. Mwhahahaha! Evil me! REVIEW PLEASE!

OH MY GOSH! Guess what you guys. I went to the American Idol concert on Saturday, and saw all of the idols. It was the second to last show. They were amazing, Mandisa, Elliott, Katharine, Taylor, Chris, Kellie, Bucky, Paris, Lisa, and Ace. AMAZING! And my sister and I made signs. I made a sign that said "CHRIS ROCKS!" because I love him like woah. I was sitting like on the side in the seventh row, and I could like throw something on the stage because I was so close. Anyways, I held up the sign during a song where all of the idols sang together. And when he came to the side of the stage toward us, my neon orange sign caught his eye and he did like a double take on it and pointed at me and waved! CHRIS POINTED AT ME! GAHH! I freaked out, and my Dad was like "Wow, he just looked at you.!" So I have an eyes witness! Oh my gosh, that made my life. And I love Chris, and he saw my neon sign and pointed at me. Wow. Okay, so my freak out is over. But I'll keep on freaking out forever now.

Anyways, tell me how you like the chapter. Please review!


	13. Get out

Hi! Okay, here's another chapter. Sorry for the delay.

And a reminder: James Patterson is the man.

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My eyes widened.

_How am I going to get out?_

**_Focus._** The Voice chimed in.

_Oh great, focus on what?_

_**Getting out.**_

_Um, getting out right now doesn't seem like a possibility._

**_Yes it is. Ari has weaknesses. You just have to find them._**

_And how am I supposed to do that?_

**_No time. You need to go, now._**

I looked up and saw a foot making its way downward towards my head. Without thinking of the pain in my side, I rolled over onto my stomach and slowly pushed myself off the ground. Ari tried to sweep his claws at me again, but I jumped back and gave him a kick in the face. He staggered a few steps back, but quickly regained himself and pounced on me. He pushed me backwards; making me hit my head on the outside wall of the house. I tried to run to the away, but Ari caught me and pinned me up against the wall.

"You're trapped." Ari growled with an evil grin.

Before I could call out to Fang, he grabbed my throat tightly. I struggled for air, but his hold on my neck was too tight.

"End of the line Maxie," Ari whispered. "You're too weak."

I looked over Ari's shoulder to see if Fang was okay, but once I caught sight of him, he fell to the ground with a large thud.

"Ari, let's go!" An Eraser called as he tapped Fang's side with his foot.

Ari glared at me and then let go of my neck. I gasped and slid to the ground.

"We'll meet again." He said as he shot up in the air and flew away.

Fang was still lying motionless on the ground in front of me.

"Fang!" I said with a raspy voice.

I got on my heads and knees and painfully crawled over to him.

"Fang." I whispered as I shook his chest.

He furrowed his eyebrows and squinted up at me.

"M-move your arm."

I looked down and realized that I had my hand resting on a large bruise.

"Oh my gosh, sorry." I gasped. He smirked a little and slowly sat up to lean on his elbows.

"Where's everyone?" He sighed.

I looked around. "I don't know."

Fang rose to his feet and scanned the yard.

"You guys?"

There was no answer.

"Hey? Anyone there?" I yelled, still sitting on the ground.

Fang looked down at me concerned and held out his hand. I took it and pulled myself up.

"You okay?" He studied me awkwardly.

I realized that I was hunched over and leaning on his shoulder for support.

"Uh-huh." I winced and tried to straighten up.

"Max, stop. No you're…"

"We need to find the kids. They're here somewhere." I ignored Fang and walked away, trying to hide my limp.

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Okay, cut short a little. But I'll try to write more soon. PLEASE REVIEW! They make me smile D 


	14. Who's there?

Okie dokie. Another installment :) James is amazing.

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I walked away from Fang to hide the unbearable amount of pain I was in, and partly because I was totally frustrated with myself. Usually I don't give up that easily when fighting Ari. He took over, and I let him. And now I'm a mess because of it, once again. But he is so going to pay, no matter what. 

"Max!" A little voice called from behind the bushes, snapping me back to reality.

Angel popped out of the bushes and ran toward me. Her hair was all tangled with leaves, and she had scratches all over her arms. Nudge, Iggy, and Gazzy appeared from behind the trees, all looking to be in pretty bad shape as well.

"What happened to you guys?" I asked with my mouth hanging open.

"Erasers happened." Gazzy said as rolling his eyes.

"What?" Fang came up behind me.

"Well, we were flying to hide in the trees up there when the Erasers came and knocked us down. Just as they were about to get us they all left for some reason." Nudge answered without a taking a single breath.

Fang and I looked at each other, and then back at the flock.

"So you fell in a bush?" Fang raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but we _were_ aiming for that pile of rocks over there." Iggy said sarcastically.

I smirked at Fang. "Anyways, are you guys alright?"

Everyone nodded and looked at Fang and me with a funny expression on their face. Nudge opened her mouth to say something, but I raised my hand up to stop her.

"Let's just get out of here, okay?"

Reluctantly they all nodded and went to gather up their things.

"Okay Angel, you first."

She smiled and gracefully jumped into the air. Gazzy went next, along with Nudge and Iggy following.

"You okay to fly?" Fang came up next to me and lightly touched my back.

I cringed a little, but forced out a small smile. "Yeah, you?"

"Of course." He flashed me a rare smile and took off.

I just rolled my eyes and followed him up.

"Um, let's head west." I yelled. Honestly, I had no idea where we were heading, but we just had to get the heck away from here.

Once we started flying for a bit, I felt my wings start to tense up. I shook my head to try and ignore it, but that only made it worse. My head throbbed, and my limbs felt like they were dead. I closed my eyes slightly in order to try and ease the pain.

"Max?" Angel flew up next to me with a worried look on her face.

My eyes snapped open and I turned to her. "What's up?"

"Are okay? You don't look good." She furrowed her eyebrows at me and cocked her head to the side.

"I'm fine. Don't worry sweetie." I forced out a nice smile.

She studied me once more and then flew off to the side. I let out a long sigh and hung my head down. I wasn't fine, but of course I would never admit that to anyone. I looked up to check on the kids and realized that I was about twenty feet lower than them. I looked around frantically and flapped my wings as quickly and as hard as I could so that hopefully no one would notice. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied with talking, or thinking if you include Fang.

**_You should pace yourself. You're only going to end up hurting yourself even more._** The Voice echoed in my head, making it throb even more.

_Oh be quiet. How would you even know?_

_**I am inside of you.**_

_Well, I'm not going to hold everyone up again. I've already done that enough so far._

**_Ignoring your pain will only make things worse. It will interrupt your plans._**

I thought about the Voice's last comment. 'Plans?'I had no idea where we were heading, let alone where we are going to stop and rest.

A weird dripping sensation on my leg woke me up from my daze. I looked down curiously, and saw that my whole shoe was covered in blood. I gasped and lifted up my blood soaked pant leg and saw a deep cut than ran across my ankle. I knew Ari did this, that idiot. And now he was definitely going to pay.

"Hey, you okay." Someone said from behind me. I jumped a little and quickly rolled down my pant leg. I turned to face Fang who starring at me intently.

"Uh-huh. Fine." I nodded and smiled nervously.

I knew that he definitely didn't buy my little act because he looked down at my leg. His eyes widened.

"Hey guys land over in those woods. Max's bleeding." He called out to the flock.

"Fang!" I hissed and sent him the evil eye.

"Max, if you hadn't noticed, you leg is dripping blood." He said and shot me the 'duh' look.

"Yeah well, you didn't have to tell them that I was bleeding. Now they'll get worried."

"Well, it gave us a reason to stop. And besides, it's not like they wouldn't find out anyways."

He flew over to the front of the pack and led the way down to a small patch of land between a cluster of trees. Once he landed safely he turned and prepared himself to catch me. I glared at him and flew a few feet away to land, but once I hit the ground, my legs gave out and I fell on my butt.

"Woah. You okay?" Iggy said while attempting to try holding back his laughter.

"Yes. I'm fine." I said coldly and crossed my arms. I tried to avoid looking at Fang, because I knew he would be smirking like crazy at me.

"Just give me the stuff to wrap it up."

Fang came over with the first-aid kit that we had stolen from the house and handed it to me. I snatched it away from him and started to roll up my pant leg to look at the damage. I sucked in a deep breath and pulled off my shoe and sock. The gash was deep and long, running from my shin to my ankle.

"Jeez." Fang sighed and walked away. I watched him gather he kids together and talk to them.

"Okay. We're making camp here. I told the kids to go get wood and stuff to keep 'em busy."

"Okay, thanks. But what if Eraser's come?" I looked up at him with a 'what were you thinking' look.

"Ig, you want to go watch them?"

Iggy nodded and stood up. I opened my mouth to argue but Iggy was already walking away.

"Okay, so let's see." Fang said as he bent down to sit in front of me.

He examined it for a moment, and then reached into the kit and pulled out a roll of gauze.

"Ari did this." I sighed.

"Yeah."

"You're bleeding too."

"I know." He shrugged.

"And you're arm, how is it?"

"Fine."

"You should…"

"Max, I'm fine. I'll take care of it after I take care of you." He said, slightly annoyed.

"I can talk care of myself. I don't need you to baby sit me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." I glared at him and looked away.

"Well, you're done." He got up and brushed himself off.

"You need to patch that thing up too." I gestured toward his side.

He looked down. "Oh."

I stood up and limped over to him. "Let me see it."

He rolled his eyes and lifted up his shirt. A nice long cut ran across his side.

"Ouch." I bent down to grab the bandages.

"It's fine. I didn't even notice it." He said blankly.

"Sure, what ever you say."

I began to roll the gauze around his stomach tightly. He tensed a bit as I placed it on his cut.

"Okay, you're a mummy now." I smiled at him.

He half smiled and pulled his shirt down carefully. "Thanks _mom_."

"Shut up, Fnick."

"Yeah well, you do act like a mother sometimes."

I looked back up at him and glared a bit. "Well, you act like a twelve year old sometimes."

Fang opened his mouth to say something but got interrupted by a loud shriek. I gasped and started to sprint toward where the kids had made camp, ignoring the horrible pain in my leg. I heard Fang running quickly behind me.

"Max!" Nudge screamed.

"What happ…" I began to say when a siring pain erupted in my head.

I collapsed to the ground clutching my head tightly. Tears formed in my eyes as I held on my head to try and keep my skull from shattering. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the brain over and over again. I dug my finger nails into my scalp and heard myself whimper.

"No!" Fang yelled in the distance.

Then before I could do anything, I blacked out.

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I know, it's kind of long. But I didn't wuite know how to break up the chapters. It would be kind of oddly done. 

And I can't believe that MR3 is coming our in May 2007. My b-day month. Holy crap! And a mega long title, but amazing. And is it going to be the last book? I read that on their Myspace page in a comment by some girl. It better not be the last book! AH! I can't wait!

Anyways **PLEASE REVIEW**! They make me feel happy!


	15. Body

Sorry for not updating in forever and a day. James Patterson is amazing.

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My eyes fluttered open as I regained consciousness. There was complete darkness all around me. I moaned as I raised my hand to my forehead, only to feel a lump the size of a golf ball on it. I moaned again and curled up into a ball, but once I laid my head down on the hard surface, I realized that I was vibrating. I gasped and quickly sat up straight.

My head then hit another hard surface. I reached my hand up to fell the object I had hit, but there was no object. There was only another hard surface over me. I reached my hands out to the side, and hit two wired walls beside me. My heart started beating a mile a minute as I felt a wave of panic wash over me. I was in a cage.

"No!" I yelled as hit the walls of my cage over and over again. "No, no, no, no, no."

This was the one thing that I wanted to stay away from. And now I was here, right back where it all started. Tears made their way down my cheeks, and I didn't feel like stopping them. I pulled my knees up to my chest and silently cried.

_How is this happening? Why? What did we do wrong?_

**_Pull yourself together Max. Don't give up that easily._** The Voice echoed.

_What am I supposed to do?_

_**Think.**_

_Of what?_

The Voice disappeared, leaving me in the darkness once again. I sniffed and wiped the tears from my eyes. Drawing in a deep breath, I reached out my hands to try and feel out my surroundings again.

The cage was small, only big enough for me to stretch my arms half way out to the sides. I leaned back against the side of the cage and sighed.

"This sucks big time." I whispered to myself and hit the back of my head against the cage.

Suddenly the cage tipped backwards and fell to the ground with a crash. I tumbled onto my back, feeling my shoulder get torn up by a piece of metal along the way.

"Damn."

Frustrated, I swung my foot up to the top of the cage. But to my surprise, my foot only hit air. It was open. I gasped and scrambled to my feet to stand up. I sighed in relief as I began to step out, but the cage was a bit higher than I expected and I fell onto the floor with a thud.

"Double Damn." I said rather loudly as pushed myself up to my feet.

This time I needed to me more careful, so I don't end up accidentally killing myself with another face plant. I reached out my hands in front of me and started to blindly walk around.

"Now I know what Iggy feels like." I said to myself with a half smile.

But my flicker of happiness vanished as I hit my foot on something. I kneeled down and placed my hands on the soft object below me. My fingertips brushed up against a smooth surface. As I trailed upwards my hand came in contacted with something like…hair.

I screamed and jumped back as I realized what I had been touching.

A body.

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Alrighty. I hate this chapter, but I'll try and make the next one better American Studies makes my brain hurt. 15,000 papers and 100,000 essays. I know exaggerating, but you know how I feel. Blah.

Okay, so **PLEASE REVIEW**. Tell me what you think and everything. Thank you :)


	16. Jeb and the figurine

"Where the hell is Ari!"

Jeb paced back and forth across his office. Nancy, a fellow scientist, looked at Jeb. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and her face was pale and hollow. She had been up all night trying to track down Ari, but had no such luck.

"I-I'm sorry Jeb. But no one remembers ever seeing him in the past three days."

"Well, what about the monitor room. Weren't they doing their job?" Jeb stopped and ran his fingers through his hair.

"We've checked the tapes from the past week many times. They all show no signs of Ari."

"What about the other Erasers. Twenty of them are missing too!"

"We know Jeb. We're doing the best we can. I've personally questioned every Eraser in this wing, and no one knows where he is. Now the…"

"What about the other wing? Are you sure he is not hiding out there?"

Nancy cleared her throat, "With all due respect Jeb, why would Ari want to hide out in the lab rat wing?"

Jeb snapped his head up and looked her in the eye. "I just need Ari back. Is that clear?"

Nancy nodded fearfully, "Y-yes, and we will get him back. The whole facility is on lock-down."

"Okay, you may go." Jeb waved her off and sat down at his desk.

Once Nancy had left the room, he took off his tie and threw it to the side without looking. As the tie hit the side of the desk, a faint clinging sound caught his attention. Jeb looked over with curiosity and removed the tie from its present place. With wide eyes, he looked down at his little figurine of an angel broken to pieces. He gathered the pieces together in front of him and starred down at them in shock. He didn't remember breaking it, nor did he remember seeing it broken. He then examined it more carefully, bending over to get a closer look. Right in the middle of the shattered pieces stood a long dark brown strand of hair. The hair was not like a human, but like a bristly haired animal.

Jeb's face suddenly became contorted into an expression of anger and fear.

"Oh no."

* * *

Short, but scary. Dun Dun Dun... well I'll try and post asap.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	17. Blind fight

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as a shiver made its way down my spine. Something told me that I was not alone.

"Hello?" I whispered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear but myself.

Something suddenly hit me on the side of the head. I fell over onto my stomach, unable to move from the shock. I felt someone grab my hair and pulled me up to my feet so I was standing with my back to another wall. You know that feeling where you're scared stiff, but for some reason your heart starts to pound in your ears like it's telling you to keep on going. Well that's almost a quarter of what I was feeling now.

Without thinking, I threw out random punches, hoping to successfully hit at least something except air. Finally my fist came in contact with something that felt like a nose. I heard a crack, and couldn't help but let a small smirk form onto my lips.

I moved to run but two rough hands pushed me back against the wall and held me there by my shoulders. I squirmed around to try and break free, but the 'attacker' just pinned my arms to my sides.

"What do you want?" I spat out through clenched teeth.

It just let out a familiar chuckle and tightened his grip on my arms.

"Just what I've wanted," A raspy voice answered.

"What's that?"

"You."

Anger spread over me, making my body temperature go up ten degrees. Now I was running on pure adrenaline.

"Not gonna happen." I said in a low voice as I swung my knee up without any aim.

The person must have been a male, because it yelped and fell to the ground with a thud. I ran to the side and was only a few steps away when a hand grabbed my bad ankle and pulled it out from under me.

"Not so fast," The angry voice growled.

The person's presence was near, though I wasn't sure on the exact location. I rolled over to my right and quietly tried to get up. I was about half way there when a crushing blow hit my side. I clutched my stomach and fell on my back once again. A sudden pressure came across my stomach, making me unable to breathe. I flung my arms up and swung them around without mercy. It just easily grabbed my hands and pinned them both above my head.

"Gotcha."

"No." I struggled desperately to get out of its hold, but it was too strong for me.

I felt a cold metal blade being placed on my chest with little pressure.

"Who are you?" I practically yelled.

"You're worst nightmare."

"Why are you doing this?" I strained my voice in pain as the pressure of the blade on my chest increased.

"I have my reasons."

I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. The blade was now making its way lower and I could feel my blood trickling down my shoulder already.

"If you're going to kill me, w-why not tell me who you are?"

"What's the point?"

I whimpered pathetically as the blade sliced the skin along my chest. I could almost hear the person grinning down at me.

"Stop." I let out a pained cry.

It only laughed and pulled the blade away. I sighed in relief, knowing that I wasn't going to be cut completely in half. The pressure on my stomach rose off and I sucked in a deep breath. Before I could get to happy I realized that something rough was being wrapped around my hands.

"Oh no you don't," I spat out and pulled my arms up into the air, hitting its face along the way.

I jumped to my feet and started to blindly run around. My hands were tightly bound together with rope, and my chest stung like crazy.

"You're so pathetic." A voice said from behind my and pushed me down again.

"Just leave me alone!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"You're so weak now. Thank God the whitecoats injected you with that chemical."

"What?" I asked quietly. I couldn't comprehend what it was saying to me. It was like his words were going in one ear and out the other.

"The institute you idiot," It growled at me. "You're weak now, so I can you anything to you."

"No."

"Yes, Anything I want, and you can't do anything about it."

It suddenly picked me up and roughly threw me over its shoulder.

"No!" I screamed as I kicked around in panic. This could _not_ be happening. It had to be a dream, right?

All of a sudden a door in front of me swung open and a blinding light poured over me. I shielded my stinging eyes and saw a tall figure standing in the doorway, clenching and unclenching its fists.

"Fang."

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Goodness. Okay, PLEASE REVIEW! I wanna know what you think about it. I don't know it you guys like it or not! And oh yeah, I four got to say in the beginning that James Patterson is amazing. Okay well now I need to go and start me BUTTLOADS of homework. Thank you!


	18. Awkward Rescue

Another installment, finally. Sorry about the delay. James P is amazing, he gets all the credit!

* * *

"Fang."

"Put her down Ari." Fang growled as he took a step forward.

Ari? Oh gosh, this sucks. Ari spun around so I was facing the other wall, out of sight from Fang.

"Oh look, another birdie." He growled back.

Prickly hairs emerged from under his shirt as he morphed into a full grown Eraser. It was then that I realized that he had been in his seven year old body this whole time. Stupid me.

"Put her down. Now," Fang lowered his voice even more.

I could tell by his tone that he was about to rip Ari into shreds. I shuddered at the mental image of Ari lying on the ground dead after Fang was done with him. But it was actually relieving, in a sick sort of way.

Ari groaned quietly to himself and sighed. "Fine."

He let go of my legs and pushed me off of him. My arms were still tied up, so I couldn't break the fall. I glanced towards Fang who stared at me with a mixture of concern and rage in his eyes. His eyes then lowered down to my upper chest, which was now soaked with blood.

"What did you do to her?" Fang asked, turning his attention back to Ari.

Ari smirked. "Nothing, just played around. Right Maxie?"

He looked down at me with a yellow-toothed grin that made me gag. I glared back up at him as I pushed myself up to stand.

"Shut up dog breath." I shot back at him.

"Aw, come on Max. We were just having some fun," He stepped toward me and reached out his hand to touch my cheek. "Well, at least I was having fun."

I slapped his arm away and stepped backwards. Fang then slid between me and Ari and daringly pushed Ari back.

"Don't touch her."

Ari looked taken aback at first, but then he became more amused. "Okay then, if that's how you wanna play, then fine. Let's go."

Ari suddenly clawed at Fang, lightly grazing his forearm. Fang seemed unfazed as he placed a round-house kick to Ari's jaw, making him stubble back. He quickly regained himself and cracked his neck to the side before positioning himself in a combat pose.

But before he could make his move, Fang tuned his head to the side. "Iggy now!"

Suddenly a small circular object flew into the room. Fang grabbed me around the waist and ran to the door, pulled my along with him. Everything was happening so fast. I could barely comprehend the events that where now taking place.

"You can't hide forever Max!" Ari yelled at me from inside.

My eyes widened in horror as the bomb exploded, making the small shack that I had just been held captive in burst into flames. I felt Fang's arm tighten around my waist, pulling me back into reality. I slowly realized that we were now standing more that twenty yards away from the flames.

"Max, Fang, you guys okay?" Iggy called out from over near the woods.

Fang turned up to look at him and then back down to me.

"You okay?"

I nodded slightly and glanced back over to the shack that was now burning to the ground. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and reopened them to make sure that I wasn't dreaming.

"It's okay," Fang said quietly as he turned me around to face him. He lifted up my chin, forcing me to look into his dark eyes. "You're safe now. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again, okay? I promise."

Without having any control over myself, I leaned in and kissed him, on the lips. I had no idea what I was doing. Silently freaking out on myself for being such an idiot, I pulled away and looked down. My cheeks were burning red from embarrassment. Fang dropped his arm from my waist and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Uh, these ropes, we should, um, get them off." He stammered and reached into his pocket.

He pulled out a pocket knife and started to saw the ropes in half.

"Where'd you get that?" I asked, trying really hard to change the subject.

"Oh this? I stole it from that house."

"Cool."

I wanted to punch myself in the face for what I had just done. How could I have been so stupid? Thanks to me, I'll never be able to talk to Fang again. And I didn't even like him like that, right? He's my best friend, my brother, and nothing more. He just can't be anything else, right? I mean it's not like I don't love him, because I really do. But I don't know about _loving_ him like that. This was all getting to weird for me. I mean, I just escaped from almost being kidnapped my Ari. But of course, Fang rescued me. This was too confusing for me right now, and my head just couldn't take it.

"Hey, what happened? Didn't you hear me from over there?" Iggy said out of breath, breaking the extremely awkward silence. Iggy to the rescue!

"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine. You okay?" I glanced quickly up at Fang and then back down at my now free wrists. I rubbed then as they prickled from poor circulation.

"Yup." Fang scratched his head. He brushed his dark brown hair away from his eyes and looked at me for a second.

"Um, okay. Where's everyone? Are they okay?" I asked Iggy.

"Yeah, they're over there behind those trees. I told 'em to stay put."

"Okay, we should get out of here."

"It's late. You should rest." Fang said.

"No, we'll stop in an about an hour or so. Okay?"

"Okay." Iggy turned around and started walking back to the woods.

"Um, we should go." I said awkwardly.

"Yeah."

We both started walking together behind Iggy. I knew I had to talk to Fang at one point or another, but I could barely make eyes contact with him now. So I guess I'll just have to wait until it gets less awkward between us. And hopefully that would happen soon.

* * *

Okay. Until next time. I'm working on the next chapter now. Tell me if you like it or not! I really would like to know! Thanks for reviewing last time! PLEASE REVIEW!


	19. Pain

Hey sorry I have update in like forever and a day. Well here it is, yay!

* * *

Fang and I walked silently towards a cluster of trees where Iggy had disappeared into. I walked slightly ahead of Fang, trying my hardest to avoid eye contact. I couldn't bear to look at him, after that little stunt I'd pulled. I mean, come on, kissing Fang? It would be a little awkward for a while, if not longer. A cool breeze rustled through the woods, sending a shiver down my spine. Just as I began to wrap my arms around my self to keep warm, a blast of pain washed over my chest. I looked down and gasped at the gapping wound that was now soaking my shirt with blood.

"Crap," I muttered under my breath.

How could I have not realized this until now? The pain started to then become sharper and stronger. I couldn't help but clench my jaw and hunch over slightly. I looked over my shoulder a little to see if Fang had noticed, but he was starring off into the trees deep in thought.

The pain seemed like it increased with every step I took. I could feel my breathing quicken without my control, and my face was now covered with sweat. Finally it all became unbearable. I gave in and felt on my hands and knees panting heavily. A familiar hand touched my back softly, making everything only hurt more. I slowly lifted my head to see Fang looking at me with intently.

"Max lie down." He whispered softly while helping me lie on my back.

I collapsed into Fang's arms as he gently laid my head onto his lap.

"Hey guys? Iggy!?" Fang called out into the trees.

There was silence. "Okay Max, hold on."

Then Fang picked me up off the ground and carried me like a baby deeper into the woods. I felt like a pathetic little kid, wrapped in his arms like that. But honestly, I doubt that I could have been able to walk by myself.

"You okay?" Fang asked, quickly glancing down at me.

"Hmm," Was all I could answer.

_What is wrong with me?_

_**You are loosing blood fast Max.**_

_No duh. But why am I like this?_

_**I'm afraid Ari has done something that has only hurt you more than you already were.**_

_I was hurt? What? What did he do?_

The Voice was silent.

_WHAT DID HE DO TO ME?_ I screamed in my head, only causing a shooting pain.

I moaned quietly and closed my eyes. I was fading fast, and there was nothing I could do.

"Come on Max, stay with me." I heard Fang say from above me. "Iggy, get me my backpack and a water bottle!"

I cracked my eyes open a little to see Fang's face in front of mine. His eyes were full of concern, though his face was blank.

"Fang, 'm sorry." I mumbled.

"You have no reason to be." He said with a small smile. "Now shut up."

I smiled a little and closed my eyes again. I felt him gently brush a strand of hair away from my forehead and lightly pat my face with a wet cloth.

" An' thanks," I whispered.

"Just rest."

He got up and walked away.

_**I'm sorry Max.**_

But before I could ask why, I blacked out unexpectedly.

* * *

Hey, so tell me if you like it or not. And thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter, pushing me over the 100 mark. Love you. But please review some more, they help : ) 


	20. Explanations

My eyes fluttered open as I slowly regain consciousness. My whole body still throbbed, but it was much better than yesterday. It was dark out, and the only source of light came from a small fire a few feet away from me. I looked down at my bandaged body. Though my shirt was ripped to threads and blood stained, I was pleased that I was at least partially covered.

I could hear the faint breathing of the flock near me, making me sigh in relief. A rustle of leaves suddenly caught my attention. I quickly turned my head to the side, sending a shooting pain down my neck. I moaned quietly and squeezed my eyes shut in attempt to make the pain pass faster. A warm, rough hand suddenly wrapped itself in mine. Surprised, I snapped my eyes open to meet Fang's.

"Hey," He whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, better than yesterday I guess."

"Good." He looked down at my bandaged chest and smirked. "You look like a mummy."

I cracked a half smile at his remark. "Great." I said sarcastically.

"So, about yesterday, what happened?"

I paused. What was I supposed to say? I didn't even know what really happened. I knew that Ari did something, but what?

**_Don't you remember what Ari said?_** The Voice suddenly appeared out of no where.

_Um, no. Enlighten me._

"**_You're so weak now. Thank God the whitecoats injected you with that chemical."_**

Ari's voice rang in my ears. All of it started coming back to me.

_What did he mean about a chemical?_ I asked myself, not expecting and answer back.

**_At the institute in DC, the scientist ran some tests on you._** My Voice decided to answer.

_Yeah, I know that. And…?_

_**The chemical that they had injected into your body was to be used in order help you gain strength.**_

_Well then why did it hurt so badly?_

**_Your body couldn't handle the chemical, causing the pain that you endured. It was to strong for your body, therefore it rejected it._**

_Okay, so why did I just have all that pain yesterday?_

_**Well, Ari seemed to have tapped into your charts at the institute and look at your file. He found that you were allergic to the chemical and…**_

_Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that Ari used that crap on me again?_ I asked with anger washing over me.

_**Yes, except he didn't inject it into you. He gave it to you through the blade that he used to cut you. The chemical spread through your bloodstream.**_

_Crap. That little…_

_**I understand that you are angry, but you must not dwell on this any longer. You are weaker now, so you must regain your strength in order to fulfill your destiny Max.**_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, save the world, blah blah blah. But how am I supposed to rest when there are Erasers following us everywhere?_

_**You must go to Virginia as soon as possible.**_

_Why?_

_**Patience Max, I will tell you once you get there**._

_Um, okay. But what exactly in Virginia?_

Of course the Voice was silent.

"Max?" Fang asked, bringing me back to reality.

"Oh, hi, sorry." I smiled sheepishly.

"Voice?" He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," I sighed. "It told me what happened."

Fangs eyes grew wide, well, in Fang's version of showing astonishment.

"So, spill."

I took in a deep breath and let it out. Then I told Fang everything, including my experience back at the institute. He just looked at me blankly, but then his face changed.

"Max, why didn't you tell me?" He looked as though he was fighting the urge to yell at me.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't really get the chance to."

I propped myself up on my elbows, but then quickly fell back wincing. I tried to suppress a moan from escaping my lips, but I didn't succeed.

"You had plenty of chances to tell me Max. I can't believe this." He said as he looked away.

He let go of my hand and sighed.

"Fang, I'll be fine. The Voice just said that I had to rest." I said, trying to break the tension between us.

"That still doesn't cut it Max. This is serious. I can't believe you."

"Fang, I didn't even know about this! How was I supposed to tell you something that I didn't even know about until now? This is just as new to me as it is to you!"

I realized my voice was growing louder, but that did stop the anger from bubbling inside of me. Fang just looked at me with piercing eyes.

"Yeah well, I'm still mad."

The weakness in his voice made the air around us soften. I couldn't help but laugh at his comeback. He shook his head in embarrassment and looked away.

"So, Virginia?" He asked out of nowhere. He was probably trying to change the topic.

"I guess, that's where the voice said to go." I answered, trying to regain my composure.

"Okay, but what's in Virginia?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't even know."

"When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow," I said confidently.

"You sure? I mean, you're pretty banged up."

"Yep, the sooner we get out of here, the better."

"If you say so, you're the boss." He grinned lightly.

"And don't you forget it." I added with a smile, making his grin grow wider.

"I won't." His smile then faded a bit. "Well, you should rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Fine. But you rest too, okay?" I narrowed my eyes at him playfully.

"Okay boss, now sleep." He said getting up and saluting me military style. I smiled and saluted back.

"Night Fang."

"G'night Max." He said as he turned and walked away.

I hadn't realized how tired I still was until I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Okie dokie! There you have it. A bit of an explanation. And their off to Virginia, hmmm. Oh well, we'll just have to see. PLEASE REVIEW!! 


	21. Malfunctions

Hey, sorry for the delay. Loads of crap going on! You know how it is. Okay, well here it be...

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"Max, you're alive! Are you okay? How do you feel? We were all really worried! You looked bad, but Fang didn't let us see you a lot. He made us go to sleep way over there. But…"

I opened my eyes groggily to Nudge's smiling face directly above of mine. If I wasn't awake then, then I definitely am now. I smiled weakly and rubbed my eyes.

"Hey Nudge. I'm fine." I said hoarsely. My throat felt like a dried up cactus.

"Want some water?" She asked, still grinning widely.

I nodded and propped myself up on my elbows. My chest still stung like crazy, but I guess it was somewhat bearable. Nudge jumped up and ran off towards a back pack that was sitting a few yards away.

"**_Take it easy Maximum. You need your strength to fulfill your..."_**

"_Destiny, yeah yeah yeah. I get it already. Now shut up for a while._

"Here you go Max!" Nudge said rather loudly, making me jump about a mile and a half.

I smiled and gratefully took the bottled water from her. I finished it all within two seconds. That had to be a record in some book. I looked back up at Nudge who was now anxiously peering over her shoulder.

"Nudge?" I asked curiously.

She spun her head back around and smiled. "Oh sorry, we were just playing a game over there. Its fun, it's like hide-and-seek, but a lot better. Angel…"

I held my hand up to stop her rambling. "It's okay Nudge. You can go play. I'm fine."

"You sure?" He asked as she bit her lip.

"Yeah, you go ahead. I'll come over soon, okay?"

Nudge's face lit up like a light bulb as she stood up and brushed herself off.

"Okay Max Come soon!" She then sprinted back through the trees.

"Be careful!" I tried calling after her, though I knew she didn't hear me.

I was once again alone in a peaceful forest. I sighed and laid back, breathing in the forest scent. It was relaxing, even though I was still hurt pretty badly and was almost killed by a little wolf boy named Ari. I should be happy that the flock, especially Fang, was there to save me. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was happening, or was possibly going to happen. I mean, why did the Voice say to go to Virginia? What was there? My brain was busting at the seams from being filled to the maximum capacity with other crap.

"Hey," A voice said from behind me. I jumped a bit and realized that my eyes had been shut this whole time. I opened them a little to adjust my eyes to the blinding sun. Fang was standing beside me looking down at my contorted, squinting face.

"Hey," I answered back with a small smile.

He sat down next to me with a smirk on his face.

"How are you feeling?" He asked as his face changed back to being blank like always.

"I'm okay," I said sitting up.

Of course, I made the mistake of wincing a little bit while sitting up. Fang was about to argue with me, but I just sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I'm fine, really." I reassured him. "Now help me up."

He looked at me for a few seconds longer and then reluctantly stood up and offered me his hand. I took it and pulled myself up next to him. My legs felt pretty good at first, but then they started to wobble under me. I figured that I was just the weight difference on them, but unexpectedly my jelly legs gave in and I fell onto Fang's chest.

"Yeah, you're just dandy." He said sarcastically.

I shot him a daggered glare and quickly pushed myself off. I quickly shook out my legs and began walking away. Fang stayed behind, probably watching me closely. My face was all flushed from the humiliation of falling on Fang. Stupid jelly legs of mine.

All was going well until I reached about ten steps away from Fang. Then suddenly my legs collapsed again, making me fall with a nice thud.

"Crap," I muttered under my breath as I slammed my fist into the grassy floor.

Tears of frustration sprang to my eyes, but I sniffed them back and bit my lip. I was totally _not_ going to cry like a baby right now. I've already done enough of that this month.

Fang appeared next to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"

I swatted his hand away and grunted, "I'm fine."

I got up on all fours in attempt to test my legs out again. With a deep breath, I slowly pushed myself off the ground. I remained standing for about five seconds until I collapsed for the third time. Luckily, Fang caught my arms before I hit the ground. He gently sat me down and pushed a few strands of hair behind my ear. I turned away to try and hide the tears that were now uncontrollably falling from my eyes.

"Max, it's…"

"No, it's not okay Fang. What is happening to me?" I asked as I wiped my tears on my arm.

"You'll be okay. You haven't used your legs in a while." He said softly.

"They would normally just be a little stiff, okay, I can deal. But I can't even freaking stand up Fang!"

He placed his hand on my chin and turned my head so I was looking directly into his eyes. They were softer than normal, but had a hint of worry in them. We sat there for almost a minute, just starring at each other. Suddenly I felt a little better, almost like a giant weight was lifted off of me. It's weird how a guy like Fang can make you feel better, without having to say anything at all.

I wiped the rest of my tears away on the back of my hand and sighed.

"Sorry for yelling at you." I mumbled.

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." He said.

He smirked and playfully hit my shoulder. I smiled and playfully hit him back. What was it between us? I mean, we're best friends, like brother and sister. But now, I don't even know. It's just another worry that's jammed into my overflowing brain.

"So, what do we do now?" Fang asked as he wiped another stray tear from my cheek.

I looked down and thought for a few seconds.

"I have no idea."

* * *

Okay, _**please**_ tell me what you think! **REVIEW PLEASE**!!! 

On Friday, Nov 5, there was a fatal car accident involving four kids. All suffered major injuries and one girl died at the scene. I knew three of them. One boy is the brother of a girl I used to swim with, he was sent home yesterday. The girl that died is in two of my classes and the driver, who is now in critical condition, is in one. Both are in my math class, which is the last class that both of them had on Friday afternoon. Janee was only 16 years old and such a sweetheart. I sat next to her on the bus a few times in eighth grade. They lost control of the car while driving home from the mall at 7:45 at night.

So I would just like to say: _RIP_ _Janee Wallace_


	22. Plan

Hey guys, I am **SO** sorry that I haven't updated in forever-and-a-day. I've been really sick and I had all of this AP testing crap going on. But now that stupid test is over, so hopefully I will be able to write more. My school gets out pretty soon too, so then I will be able to write more often. Sorry this is pretty short, but I wanted to get this chapter up before the next one. I have it planned out, so I'm hoping to get it typed and ready soon. Once again I'm _**so**_ sorry about this _**really**_ long delay!!

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We sat together in silence for what seemed like forever. I still had to come up with our next move, even though I didn't know if I _could_ move. I still felt like I had been hit by a tractor, and my cuts and bruises covering me stung like crazy. Yet, I still had to go on. You just can't catch a break while being a mutant freak.

"_Maximum, stop pitying yourself, you must get moving."_ My Voice reappeared.

_Umm, you think I don't know that?_

"_This is not a joking matter Maximum. It is almost time to fulfill…"_

…_My destiny. I know, you've only told me about a million times._

"_I need to remind you or else you would forget all about this serious matter."_

"Max?" Fang said.

"Sorry," I mumbled. This stupid Voice thing is making me crazy.

"Voice?" He asked as if he already knew the answer.

"Yep, how'd you know?" I smiled weakly at him while inwardly cursing at my Voice for its success in making me look like an idiot yet again.

"What's it saying?"

"Oh nothing, just that whole 'save the world' stuff. It's stupid." I said.

"_This is not stupid Maximum."_ The Voice said rather loudly, sending a sharp pain through my brain. I winced and rubbed my forehead.

Fang was staring at me again with a hint of concern still hidden in his dark eyes. I tried to shrug off the throbbing feeling in my head, but I knew I couldn't hide anything from Fang.

He cleared is throat and looked away. "Um, I should go get the flock. They're probably worried."

I nodded, knowing that I was too weak to get up and go to them myself. Fang stood up and brushed himself off. "Be right back," He said.

As he walked away, my head pounded even more viciously. I lay back down onto the patch of grass under me and groaned out loud. The sky was perfect today, clear and blue with only a few clouds. I wanted more than anything to just get up and fly away from this place. But I knew that was not a possibility right now. However, I wanted to just get away from here and go to that deserted island Fang had suggested a while back. The kids deserved a little something to enjoy for once in there life, like a beach with crystal clear water and sand to run their fingers through.

"Max! You're okay!" Nudge's excited voice pulled me from my daydream.

I propped myself onto my elbows to greet the flock who were now running towards me. Angel got to me first, crushing me with a bear hug.

"Hey Angel," I said with a large smile.

"We missed you!" She exclaimed.

"Oh Max, we were so worried about you. Fang wouldn't let us see you for the longest time. Are you okay? What happened? Oh, I'm so glad you're alive! Well, not that I thought you were dead or anything, but we were scared. Fang said that he…" Nudge rambled on. Thankfully Iggy stopped her by covering her mouth with his hand.

"So basically, we are glad to have you back." Iggy laughed.

"It's good to be back," I said while taking a moment to look at everyone's smiling faces.

They gathered around me, except Fang who was standing off to the side looking at me with his lips slightly curved upwards. I smiled at him and turned to look at my flock again.

"Max, where are we going now?" Angel asked suddenly.

I glanced at Fang. "Um, we need to go to Virginia for some reason," I said nervously. "So we should start packing up."

Everyone nodded enthusiastically and scurried off to get their things. Fang pulled Iggy to the side and talked to him quietly. Iggy nodded and followed the other kids back to their camp site.

"What was that?" I asked Fang curiously.

"What was what?"

"What did you say to Iggy?"

"Nothing, I just asked him to get my stuff too." He said as he glanced to the side. "Hey, do you still have that Max bank card?"

I blinked and nodded my head. "Yeah, I think so."

"Okay, good. We should probably find a motel somewhere to spend the night."

I shot him an annoyed glance and rolled my eyes. "No, I'm fine. We don't have to waste money on me."

"Max, yes we do." He said in a stern voice. I was a little shocked at his overprotective manner. "You need to rest. I don't know what's going on with you and we can't risk you getting even sicker that you are now."

Though I was never going to admit it, he was right. I really didn't know what was going on with me.

"_Fang is right Max. You need time to regain your strength."_

_Well how long will that be?_

"_As long as it takes for you to understand your limits."_ The Voice answered.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Fine." I said blankly.

Fang smirked and turned to look through the trees. The kids and Iggy came scurrying back with their bags in their hands. Iggy handed Fang his rather large bag and whispered something into his ear.

"Max, where are we going now?" Nudge yelled, keeping me from my investigation. I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was happening, but my throbbing body kept me from thinking about it any further.

"Well, we decided that we should stay at a motel tonight. How does that sound?"

Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel cheered and thanked me with a big hug.

"Okay guys, let's head out." I said as I tried to get up.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, pushing me back down. "Okay guys, you go ahead," Fang called out.

Once the flock was up in the air, Fang shot me a 'you got to be kidding me' look.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? I can't do anything Fang!" I yelled at him.

He just stood there giving me a serious look. "You'll let me carry you and you'll shut up." He said calmly.

I rolled my eyes and held up my arms to him. He lifted me up from the ground and carried me bridal style.

"You suck," I grunted. He smirked at me and took off into the air.

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Once again I'm **SOO** sorry! I feel like such a bad person! Please forgive me! And also please review and tell me what you think. I don't know if it's really that good. And I'll try my hardest to get the next one up soon. Thank you! and please REVIEW!


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